United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a memo on May 30, 2014, issuing a new policy on the validity of Form I-693, the report of medical examination and vaccination record. The new policy states that Form I-693 will now only be valid for one year from the date the form was submitted to USCIS. The form must also now be submitted within one year of the foreign national receiving the medical examination.
Prior to 2002, USCIS would accept Form I-693 one year from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature. In 2002, USCIS began extending the validity of Form I-693 in certain circumstances. This extension has been renewed on a yearly basis since that time. However, due to concerns from the Centers for Disease Control, USCIS will no longer be issuing the annual Form I-693 extensions. This policy went into effect on June 1, 2014.
Form I-693 is used to show that a foreign national is free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible. There are four medical grounds that render a person inadmissible to the United States. They are:
• Communicable diseases of public health significance (e.g. tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy, etc.).
• Lack of required vaccinations (e.g. vaccinations for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, influenza, meningococcal, etc.).
• Physical or mental disorders associated with harmful behavior.
• Drug abuse or addiction.
Form I-693 is needed by all applicants filing for adjustment of status to that of a permanent resident (Green Card holder). In order to ensure that the results of the medical exam will remain valid by the time of adjudication, USCIS recommends scheduling the exam as close to the planned date of filing the application as possible.
To view the full USCIS memo please visit http://Users/davidlewis/Sites/berardi/app/public.uscis.gov/policymanual/Updates/20140530-I-693Validity.pdf .
If you have any questions regarding Form I-693 or filing an adjustment of status application, please schedule a consultation with one of our immigration attorneys today!